The Elephant in the Room
By: Elisa Blasi
Have you ever heard the term “the elephant in the room”? It is often used when
there is an obvious issue or problem that everyone can see, yet, in order to avoid an
uncomfortable situation is sidestepped.
For most of my life I have felt like the elephant in the classroom. I was that kid in
school who left class after our national anthem and only saw other students during lunch,
art, gym, and recess. The reasons for why I would go to a “special room” were rarely
discussed in my mainstream classrooms. Essentially, there was a gap between the
implementation of my individual education plan and an explanation as to why I was
doing things differently from the average student. This gap left space for me to create my
own view as to why I was frequently taken out of the classroom. Looking back at that
time now as an adult, it is alarming to think that as a child I actually believed I was not as
smart as my friends. Further, when my peers were left with this lack of information, it
gave them the opportunity to create their own reasons as to why I was taken out of the
classroom. As you can imagine, I quickly became the “stupid kid”. Yet, most adults in
my life kept using the same go-to phrase whenever they saw I was frustrated with my
school environment:
“You Are No Different Than Anyone Else”
There I was, sitting in a classroom, trying my hardest to believe I was no different
than any other student, doing everything I could to blend in, and yet, extremely frustrated
that I was not reading and writing the same way as my peers. My learning disability
became the elephant in the room. It was obvious to other students that I had a difficult
time with reading, writing, and math. Nevertheless, the actual learning disability was not
talked about, but rather, covered up with an explanation that I was no different from my
peers. At the very least, this period in my life was confusing. My learning disability was
something many people noticed, but very few knew how to approach. Hesitant and
passive explanations left me wondering, should I be embarrassed that I cannot learn like
my peers? By the time I was in grade nine I had made two conclusions regarding my
difficulties in school:
1. My learning disability is something I should be embarrassed about.
2. My learning disability is something that I should hide.
Before going on, let me introduce myself. My name is Elisa Blasi and I am
currently attending York University as a Psychology major. My journey in understanding
my learning disability has truly been a rollercoaster. What I once saw as a roadblock and
an excuse has slowly turned into something that has shaped me into the person I am
today. My learning disability is what pushes me to relentlessly work at something, even
in the face of failure. In fact, my learning disability has taught me to look at failure from
a completely different viewpoint. It has given me an opportunity to develop a unique
perspective on how I view challenges in my life. Meaning, I strive to approach a
challenge as a learning experience, rather than an opportunity to play the victim. In turn, I
have learned that I can be proud of myself; something I would never have believed
possible when I was in grade nine. Currently, I work as an ambassador for the Learning
Disability Association Of York Region. Our goal is to empower students and eliminate
stigmas attached to the diagnosis. As someone who has personally dealt with the weight a
school environment can place on a student with a learning disability, it is important that I
share my experiences in order to build an environment that will help support the needs of
students to come.
I believe the source of our problem is rooted in the phrase “you are no different
than anyone else”. When directed to a person who has a learning disability, this phrase
can deeply damage their self-concept in both a school and social setting. What you are
saying is that their overall learning style and pace are the same as an average student.
When hearing this from an adult, many students, including myself, will initially believe
that statement. However, even at a young age, it does not take long for a student with a
learning disability to see that they have different learning needs from their peers. This
push and pull between being told you are the same as your peers and yet seeing that you
are not is what causes “the elephant in the room”. Ultimately, this situation informs the
student that homogeny in learning styles should be both desired and strived for. Yet,
when students who have a learning disability attempt to learn the same way as their peers,
they often experience failure. This type of failure confirms to students that our education
system was not designed for a different type of learner.
I believe this cycle will stop the day we start openly talking about learning
disabilities within mainstream classrooms. Every student, learning disability or not,
should understand that an LD does not mean a student is unable to learn, but rather, that
they learn in a different way. In other words, the classroom environment should be
designed to not only celebrate different types of learners, but also complement each
students learning style. In order to create a classroom setting like this, changes must be
made:
1. The special education classroom should no longer be seen as a mystical room
that some students disappear to. Rather, teachers should explain what the special
education room is and why it is important to students who have different learning
needs.
2. Each student, learning disability or not, should have a clear understanding of
what a LD means.
3. Students who have a learning disability should be made aware of their
diagnosis and take part in their I.E.P process or any other parent/board personnel
meetings. Further, students with a learning disability and their prospective
teachers should be actively reviewing and exploring successful ways of accessing
and processing the curriculum.
4. The mainstream classroom should be set-up in a way that allows students to
access to their accommodations seamlessly in the same manner other students
have access to a pen and paper. Thus, creating a welcoming school environment
for the needs of a different type of learner.
This type of classroom setting rejects any misconceptions about learning
disabilities to mainstream students, students who have a learning disability, and
teachers who do not fully understand the meaning of a LD. By setting-up your
classroom in these aforementioned ways, you are saying to students that it is
acceptable to learn in a different way. This type of atmosphere will allow each
student to mature in his or her understanding of their own learning disability.
Thus, when that student is faced with a situation that does not welcome their
learning style they will have the confidence to advocate for themselves because of
the nurturing school environment they grew-up in.
If you are an elementary-school teacher and reading this, I encourage you
to start openly talking about learning disabilities in your classroom. These “talks”
should be both informative and allow students to ask questions in order to debunk
any stereotypes. I do not believe that there is an age that is too young to
understand, rather, it is dependent on the teacher to create a lesson on learning
disabilities that is appropriate for that age group.
If you are a high school teacher and reading this, then you have your work
cut out for you. The problem is that by the time students get to you they have been
the elephant in the room for far too long. Many will be resistant and most will not
even understand what a learning disability is. I suggest that high school teachers
work together with their LD students to create a plan toward self-advocacy and
understanding of their learning disability. Some will take longer to come around
to the idea, but what is important is that you make yourself available for when
they do.
Empowering students who have a learning disability today will have a
considerable effect in the years to come. In fact, informing all students about
learning disabilities will eventually cause a ripple effect in our society. What we
have to remember is that the students in our classrooms today will one day be
active participants in society and possibly parents themselves. If we start opening
our children’s minds to the concept that there are different types of learners and
thinkers in this world and also empower students of all learning backgrounds,
then, the future for people who are different will be brighter.